


The Afterlife is a Scam

by saltedfishflakes



Series: Floating ideas [1]
Category: Spirit King Elqueeness, 人渣反派自救系统 - 墨香铜臭 | The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System - Mòxiāng Tóngxiù
Genre: Gods, Multi, Shang Qinghua is Haiton, Shen Yuan is Ainios
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 03:08:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27177011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saltedfishflakes/pseuds/saltedfishflakes
Summary: A long, long time ago, a god the controls fate called Moira was supposed to be born.Unfortunately, during the process of transporting the spirit... the transportation formation acted up so instead of being born in the higher realm, the unborn spirit was transported into the lower realm and was reborn as a half-demon. Ever since then, Ainios who governs time had been searching for the lost god... so that he can finally have a vacation.Ainios: I have waited for you to be born.Luo Binghe: It's fated that we end up together.
Relationships: Original Luò Bīnghé/Shěn Yuán | Shěn Qīngqiū
Series: Floating ideas [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1983698
Comments: 2
Kudos: 48





	The Afterlife is a Scam

_Misfortune can come to anyone._

_Probably, the biggest misfortune in my life is..._

_My longing to feel the warmth of a family._

Luo Binghe had died.

The memory of his death was fuzzy in his mind. But, he somehow managed to conclude that the cause of his death might be qi deviation or poisoning. The first seemed more likely. Then again, it's no longer important as the fact remains that he's dead.

He was neither mad nor disappointed of the fact. Instead, the moment his eyes landed on his warm corpse, a warm feeling washed over him, _relief_. Relief that he can finally abandon this accursed world. One could say... he was even happy that he died.

However, that soon transformed into frustration.

Being dead was boring since it appears that he was the only the spirit in the world, which, based on his previous experiences was supposed to be untrue. But after exploring all the realms without even bumping into any other souls like himself.. that was the only conclusion he could deduce. Soon, it felt lonely surrounded by people but remaining unnoticed so he had gone to find a quiet solace.

Luo Binghe was sitting on a cliff, looking at the vast Abyss laid out in front of him. Soaring winds roared in his ears, sounding like the wails of tortured souls.

_It was peaceful._

The glow from the Abyss died his cheek with the colours of twilight as if he was appreciating the sunset instead.

"I have died," he stated, resting his chin on his palm, "And I am still here remaining by myself,"

_Is there no place for me even in the underworld?_

"Thank god I found you!" 

Luo Binghe jolted and turned his body towards the source of the noise. A man in grey robes was kneeling on the ground, his eyes were shining with a layer of mist as if he would shed tears any moment. 

"I don't have to be tortured anymore." his face broke out into a wide smile.

This was the first time someone was smiling happily at the entrance of the Abyss. _Is this person insane?_

Luo Binghe must have shitty luck for meeting a crazy person the first time. But-

_I finally found you._

_There are other people looking for him._

Luo Binghe chuckled and grinned, saying in a mocking tone: "I've been dead for over one month, is the underworld official's too shorthanded to find one soul,"

The man was broke out of his reverie, his eyes widen in shock as he stared at Luo Binghe. Why was their expression seemed to be reversed here? 

He was just lashing out his frustration of being alone for more than a month after his death yet he received this kind of reaction. His lips curled downwards, gazing at the man with a calculating glint. Something in his face feels amyss. 

"Esteemed spirit, I am not a guide for departing souls..." he says, his voice trailed off as if he was unsure on how to continue, "I am called Haiton, the one that governs transportation between dimensions and it seems you were brought here by mistake so I was tasked to find you."

"What?" Luo Binghe exclaimed.

"We lost your soul for three thousands years... thankfully, lady luck is still with me." he wipes a stray tear with the edge of his sleeve, "I no longer have to backlog my work,"

The answer made Luo Binghe even more confused.

They were clearly speaking in the same language, using familiar words and yet, he couldn't grasp the other's meaning. 

Luo Binghe concludes, _this man has mistaken him for someone else._

The man gathers his emotions, his face was calm and devoid of any emotions like a clear pool without any ripples. Unfortunately, his aloof image was already lost in Luo Binghe's heart.

"Please follow me, noble spirit. I will take you back to meet my senior," He stood up, despite kneeling on the ground no dirt stained his robes nor did it left any wrinkle.

"I'm not the spirit you're looking for," Luo Binghe says disinterestedly.

"Lord spirit, haven't you noticed that you haven't encountered any ghost in this state? It's not that the guides are doing an extremely good job or this world is free of death. You do not exist in this world. In other words, you are a child without destiny-"

_I have no place in this world?_

* * *

Haiton rubs the purple handmark around his throat, leading the lost spirit through the spirit world. He felt that the noble spirit was weird, throughout the entire journey, the spirit hasn't made any reaction towards this pure and white world. Moreover-

"A-" he coughs, his throat felt as if it was rubbed dry with sandpaper. "A-Xiao!"

The white-robed youth stop walking as soon as he heard his name being called, he turned and heads towards the caller. The youth's long hair was tied into a simple ponytail, holding a stack of documents in his arms. Glancing at the name of the report, it seems that there's a demon infestation in the middle realm again.

Haiton feels sympathy for Elwein for a moment.

Just for a moment until he's reminded of how poisonous his coworker is.

"Esteemed Master," the white-clad youth bends his back in greeting, "How can Gongyi Xiao be at your service?"

_Gongyi Xiao,_ Luo Binghe mouth to himself, surprised to find a familiar name in this unfamiliar world. Although the youth was called Gongyi Xiao, he was younger than the Gongyi Xiao in his world and also dressed differently. Then again, everyone he met was dressed in a different style.

Haiton swallows his saliva. _If only healing was among his skill but unfortunately, you can't choose how you're born_. "Are you on your way to Elwein?"

"No, Lord Haiton," Gongyi Xiao reply and continue, "Lord Elwein has requested a vacation and so his work will gradually be transferred to Ainios-"

Then, Lord Haiton collapse on the floor, pulling his hair. "Fuck! I die if I go to him now!"

Gongyi Xiao was unperturbed by the emotional breakdown Haiton was going through and reminded, "It's impossible for you to die Lord Haiton,"

"That's even worse!" Lord Haiton begins to cry. 

Others in white uniform were also passing by the corridor, they only spared a short glance to the crying figure before continuing their journey. This was a common sight in the building.

"A-Xiao!" Lord Haiton suddenly shot forward, grabbing the boy's arm. There was a manic glint in his eyes, "You- Ainios pampers you the most so- so- You send this spirit to him and tell him that I must return to my post immediately-"

"He will still find you no matter what,"

With that sentence, Lord Haiton deflates and poke the pristine floor with his finger. Gongyi Xiao sighs, "But I guess, I can buy you some time to excape first,"

"As long as you fix the problem with the transpor-"

A circle of light appeared on the floor and the previous kneeling figure disappeared in thin air. Gongyi Xiao didn't even manage to finish the sentence, _"-tation formation,"_

He was staring at the white floor blankly.

After a while, he realised that he has a task to do. 

Gongyi Xiao raised his head and smiled, "Esteemed spirit, please follow this servant to his master,"

Then, he turned his heels and walked along the corridor. Luo Binghe followed the youth, he was still trying to reconcile the Gonyi Xiao that he knew with the one in front of him.

"Gongyi Xiao," he calls.

The young man replies.

"Are you a dead spirit?"

"I was one but now, I'm a guide." A white barrier expanded upwards, encasing them before slowly fading away.

There was no longer the white, colourless world around them but rather a dimly-lit room. Books and papers were scattered on every available surface and there was only a pale lamp glowing on the wall.

"Master, reading in the dark will strain your eyes," Gongyi Xiao adjusted the lamp, brightening the room. 

The darkness recedes, revealing a man at the table who was writing on a piece of paper. The man didn't answer, his attention was still focused on the documents. There was only the scritch-scratching of his pen against the paper, the rustling of fabric as Gongyi Xiao glides towards the person.

The youth place the stack on the desk and leaned towards the man, whispering, "Lord Ainios, I brought a spirit to you,"

With that, Lord Ainios stopped writing and raised his head.

He just realised that there was another man in his room. 

What Ainios noticed first wasn't his bloodstain aura, his crimson eyes or his imposing figure. 

It was a bright and pure soul that seemed to reach out to him. He recognised it instinctively just like breathing. _The soul of a god._

The chair screeched on the floor as it was pushed back harshly, the mountain of paperwork wobble as Ainios bumps on the table unknowingly as he ran to the figure. Gongyi Xiao tried to save the documents from falling but failed. 

His heart was crying tears of blood, _just arranging it all back would take five years._

However, Ainios heart was at the other end of the spectrum.

"The moment of agony is finally over," he said with a bright smile, pulling Luo Binghe into his arms, "Ah, you finally returned,"

His voice entered Luo Binghe's ears, piercing the centre of his soul. 

All he could do was stand like a wooden pole as the small figure was coming closer and closer at him before finally colliding with each other. Ainios was shorter than Luo Binghe so he had to stand at the tip of his toes just to reach the other's shoulders.

"You-" Luo Binghe was surprised by the sudden embraced. 

_Were you waiting for me?_

"I-" Luo Binghe felt happy. He placed his hands on the other's back. "I'm sorry,"

Ainios shoulder trembled, his fingers were gripping Luo Binghe's robes desperately. "When it was known you disappeared..." his voice cracked, "...It was really terrible,"

Then, as if he had used his entire strength to run at him he slumped and lay boneless in the other's hold. His voice turning into a sob.

"Not only was the soul of a god difficult to prepare but according to the netherworld, the next god to be born would be in ten thousand years. So there was no one else that could replace you in the short terms and- and they shoved your post at me..."

Gongyi Xiao who was cleaning up the mess on the table sensed a calamity was about to occur.

He stared at the conjoined figure at the centre of the room, fear taking roots in his dead heart. Unconsciously, his hand began to tremble, scattering the papers on the floor.

"But now you're here," Ainios sniffed and raised his head, revealing his obsidian eyes, "I can transfer the responsibility to you and get a vacation,"

_Oh, fuck._

"Lord Ainios!" Gongyi Xiao starts, warning bells were ringing in his mind but he does not forget his original purpose of meeting Ainios. "Lord Alwein have requested for a five hundred years vacation and thus... starting from now his responsibility will gradually be transferred to you!"

Luo Binghe felt the man stiffened in his arms.

* * *

Half of the dimension was destroyed in the process.

Thankfully, it was only Ainios' dimension.


End file.
